There were two seconds remaining in the first half Sunday, and Jon Ryan’s pulse was pumping. A rare field-goal opportunity awaited the Seattle Seahawks punter, serving as an emergency substitute for sidelined kicker Steven Hauschka.

About 20 minutes after his team’s border-state rivalry game ended with a typical 45-24 stomping Saturday – about 3 hours after the talent gap between Washington and Oregon became apparent – a reporter asked Steve Sarkisian if he’d seen a Heisman Trophy-worthy performance from Ducks quarterback Marcus Mariota.

Barring a calamity, the Seattle Seahawks are on their way to the playoffs, and figure to make waves when they get there. Those lofty expectations put on them before the season – homefield advantage for two unscheduled games in January, a Super Bowl berth in February – remain realistic.

Freddy Garcia, his team’s nominal ace, had just been pummeled in a start unacceptable for a nominal ace. This was June 2002, so long ago that none of the post-game visitors in Lou Piniella office flinched when the Seattle Mariners manager struck up a match to light a cigarette.